Chapter 7135 Yuanfeng’s 1st year meeting

Chapter 7135 The Grand Court Assembly in the Eleventh Year of Yuanfeng
Chen Xi realized very early on that the way he and Liu Bei unified the country had a huge hidden danger. Because they had not gone through war, Liu Bei and Chen Xi could not use tricks to directly eliminate the Cao Cao faction, the Sun Ce faction, and other historical legacies.

In terms of official positions and titles, these people should be treated equally to a certain extent. That is, if they do not make mistakes or commit obvious crimes, they should be allowed to remain in their positions. When they have made merits, they should be promoted as they should be, just like the officials who followed Liu Bei.

In other words, at least half of the official positions that should have belonged to Liu Bei and then been redistributed were occupied by these people, and you couldn't touch them without special reasons. So, to be honest, it was quite a difficult situation.

Furthermore, if the decision had been made to bestow titles and ranks upon officials at that time, it would have been equivalent to doubling the number of official positions and titles, making the already scarce positions even more competitive.

Of course, there are ways to solve this problem. For example, the original states could be made smaller and merged into new states, which would allow for the inclusion of more official titles and ranks.

This was actually how it was done during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, but Chen Xi thought it over and rejected this approach because it would really increase the burden on the common people. So Chen Xi chose another approach, which was to suppress the official positions and titles of everyone.

For example, when it was time to bestow titles and ranks upon the officials in the first year of Yuanfeng, only the leaders of various forces were rewarded with official positions and titles, and the merits of the Northern Frontier were settled. As for the grand bestowal of titles and ranks upon the officials that should have been done in theory when the world was unified, the Yuanfeng Dynasty did not do so when it established its reign.

There were some complaints at the time, but everyone eventually shut up because there was a very real problem: the Yuanfeng Dynasty succeeded Emperor Ling, Emperor Shao, and Emperor Min, so if you really want to calculate it, it was just an ordinary emperor ascending the throne, not the founding of a dynasty.

In the absence of a founding dynasty, at most it would be a matter of a new emperor and a new court, and it wouldn't be like the founding of the Later Han dynasty with more than three hundred marquises at once. It was perfectly reasonable for Liu Tong to carefully conduct small-scale conferment of titles. Therefore, although officials at all levels had some murmurs, they really couldn't say anything openly, since it was Liu Tong who was regent, not Liu Bei who ascended the throne.

After avoiding the situation in the first year of Yuanfeng, Chen Xi faced little pressure. By the fifth year of Yuanfeng, although theoretically Liu Bei had completely seized power in the Han Dynasty, and it was indeed akin to founding a new dynasty, Chen Xi had become a new problem.

In other words, Chen Xi proved with his own abilities that others had made very little contribution to this matter, and could only get by with scraps. If they wanted to rise to the top, they were typical examples of overthinking. Because Chen Xi, who had completely taken control of the internal affairs, finally demonstrated his true abilities.

If Chen Xi during the Taishan era was still considered human, someone who could be defeated by a few top strategists working together, by the Yecheng era, Chen Xi had already developed the aura of a sage, requiring almost half of the strategists in the world to join forces to overthrow him.

But after taking control of Chang'an and finally seizing power over the internal affairs of the Han Dynasty, Chen Xi was able to completely overpower all the civil officials in the country.

The gap in strength was broken in five years, directly shattering the Han Dynasty's four-hundred-year record of a golden age, silencing everyone and forcing them to accept the words of praise that had been used to kill them in the face of Chen Xi's great achievements—"A sage appears every five hundred years, and Chen Zichuan stands alone in the sky like the lonely moon."

Chen Xi couldn't have done this before, because the limits he could draw upon were limited. For Chen Xi, it was often not a matter of his own limitations, but rather the limitations of the times. Only after taking control of Chang'an and seizing power over the world did Chen Xi truly unleash his full potential.

In Chen Xi's words, he is like an amplifier; the larger the territory and the stronger the foundation, the higher the amplification rate. Therefore, the amplification he can bring is completely different depending on whether he only has Mount Tai, only half of the North, or the entire world.

Therefore, in the first year of Yuanfeng, Chen Xi was only a top-notch civil official, but by the fifth year of Yuanfeng, Chen Xi had already silenced all the civil officials in the country.

Only in this way, faced with Chen Xi, who was only the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, not being promoted, did others really have no good solutions and could only accept reality. The great achievements that can be seen in this world are terrifying. As a result, the potential drawbacks of bestowing titles upon officials at the beginning have been directly eliminated by Chen Xi's efforts over time.

"The imperial edict appoints Zhuge Liang as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat..." This edict revealed the arrangements for Zhuge Liang, or rather, it completely paved the way for him to rise from Minister of the Imperial Secretariat to Prime Minister. Chen Xi had served in this position for ten years, and now, in the eleventh year of the Yuanfeng era, Chen Xi had become Prime Minister. So, what would happen if Chen Xi stepped down from the position of Prime Minister ten years later? Then Zhuge Liang would naturally become Prime Minister.

However, unlike Chen Xi's promotion to Prime Minister, after Zhuge Liang was appointed Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, the attendees from various powerful families began to whisper among themselves. Although they all knew that Zhuge Liang was highly regarded by Liu Bei's faction, they still could not accept that Chen Xi had been promoted to Prime Minister and Zhuge Liang had succeeded him as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Having witnessed Chen Xi's era, it would be a miracle if these people could fully accept someone taking over Chen Xi's position.

This latest move further confirms that the ghost story Chen Xi told before might come true. In the twentieth year of Yuanfeng, Chen Xi might resign like Liu Bei and stop interfering in court affairs. This is very bad news for the Han aristocratic families.

Although by the twentieth year of Yuanfeng, the ambitious and capable aristocratic families should have developed their fiefdoms to a considerable extent, to the point that they were at least self-sufficient, they would still want to take advantage of the Han court for free.

"Kongming has taken over as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat," Cai Mao whispered to Zhang Zhao with a hint of unease.

“That was inevitable. Just look at how Chen Zichuan always brought him along whenever there was a major event. You can tell he was definitely going to succeed Chen Zichuan.” Zhang Zhao said with a hint of regret, but his eyes couldn’t hide the envy. He had once had the chance too, but that chance…

All I can say is that no one should look down on others in this world, and being kind to others is the right choice.

Chen Qun and Xun You exchanged a glance, then both looked at Zhong Yao. Zhong Yao nodded expressionlessly, indicating that the matter had been settled long ago. Chen Xi was definitely going to retire from the court, and the work of the court for the next ten years would mainly be handled by Zhuge Liang. Chen Xi would gradually reduce his involvement.

"So, how much of the so-called rumors are actually true?" Chen Qun asked Zhong Yao telepathically.

In fact, many top civil officials had heard the rumor that came from an unknown source, namely that the current economic system of the Han Dynasty had certain problems. However, due to Chen Xi's extremely strong control and unimaginable foresight, these real problems could not be exposed. Therefore, in the later stages of the Yuanfeng era, Chen Xi would withdraw and let others run the country, so as to effectively correct the problems that were exposed.

“I’m not entirely sure. I even checked, but I couldn’t find out where this rumor came from. But like I said, if such a thing can circulate in Chang’an and no one has debunked it, then it must have some truth to it,” Zhong Yao replied calmly. “So be careful from now on, and don’t step into a pit.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Qun felt a chill run down his spine. Indeed, he would be stationed in Chang'an to work for Chen Xi, and if he made a mistake and something went wrong, it would be a real problem.

Meanwhile, Xun Chen was instructing Xipulian. Well, ever since Xipulian participated in the Small World Martial Arts Competition, he had listened to Chen Xi and gone off to do his own research, completely disregarding the Yuan family. Fortunately, after a period of research, he was brought back because he had to attend the Grand Court Assembly.

This is why Xun Chen had time to explain things to Xipulian.

"You want me to replace you as the chief strategist of the Yuan family?" Ciprian looked at Xun Chen with some surprise. "No, your Yuan family has quite a few civil officials. Is it really okay for me to be parachuted in? Don't tell me that once I get there, a bunch of people will start scheming against me. If you're not good enough for this job, you can give it to someone else."

"Of all these people, you are the most suitable. On the one hand, you and I came to Chang'an at the same time, so it is most appropriate to give you instructions. On the other hand, if other civil officials were to handle the situation with the Yuan family, they would inevitably be too eager for quick success and instant benefits, but you are different." Xun Chen looked at Xipulian and said very seriously.

This wasn't just to fool Cyprian; it was the truth. When Cyprian was doing things, he basically didn't have any short-sighted ideas. He always tried his best to do things to the best of his ability, and he also had a long-term vision, which was extremely important for the Yuan family at present.

In Xun Chen's view, the problem of Roman encroachment faced by the Yuan family was one that could not be solved in a short time. Under this premise, all short-sighted actions would only create weaknesses for the Yuan family, making it easier for Rome to exploit them.

Since that's the case, it's better to be more stable and find a reliable, capable, and far-sighted person to replace you. Even if there are some losses, at least it will be good in the future.

"Your Yuan family's advisors may trust you, but they may not trust me." After recalling Gao Rou, Yan Pu, Xin Pi, and others, Xi Pulian looked at Xun Chen and asked with a hint of mockery.

Of course, this is not untrue. When Cyprian first arrived, he noticed that this group of people had some prejudice against him. It was only after he achieved some success that these people began to take him seriously. But even so, those people did not realize that Cyprian was actually much stronger than they thought.

It can only be said that human prejudice can cloud one's perception.

“You don’t need to trust them. You just need to do things that are beneficial to the Han Dynasty. As long as you do the right thing and do it better than them, they will naturally obey you.” Xun Chen shook his head and said, “I believe you can do that.”

“What I think is right may not be what you think is right.” Cyprian made his point clear, knowing that Xun Chen understood what he meant.

Xun Chen was silent for a while, then slowly said, "I can't go back to Eastern Europe for a while, and I feel that what you're doing is somewhat different from what I'm doing. I'm just relying on my experience and wisdom, but I didn't stop you. I just cautiously suppressed you. But since I can't stay with the Yuan family, you can do whatever you want, as long as it benefits the Yuan family. I trust your wisdom."

Upon hearing this, Xiprian glanced at Xun Chen. He was actually a fun-loving person who enjoyed creating fun that others couldn't do, and Xun Chen's current statement...

“Very well.” Cyprian said slowly. It wasn’t that he looked down on the Yuan family’s strategists. To be honest, they were indeed capable, but they were not on the same level. Cyprian’s strength lay in his organizational structure, while the others were strong in utilizing organizational power.

"Thank you. I will have General Chunyu provide you with proof." Xun Chen nodded slowly. Although he had some doubts, after years of getting along, Xun Chen had realized that Xiprian was indeed a man of his word. Once he made a promise, he would not act recklessly.

Cyprian said nothing more. He hadn't agreed so easily before, but the things he had researched in Chang'an, what Chen Xi had told him, and most importantly, Chen Xi's offer to conduct large-scale social verification at the Yuan family, finally convinced Cyprian to accept Xun Chen's suggestion.

Indeed, Xun Chen only played a small part in this. The organizational structure in Chang'an was completely different from what Xiprian knew, yet it operated perfectly. This was why Xiprian felt it necessary to conduct large-scale social practice in the Yuan family to determine where his analysis was flawed.

Soon, the group arrived at Weiyang Palace under Liu Tong's leadership. The last grand court assembly was held at Wanxiang Divine Palace, so this time they naturally had to change the location. Liu Tong was quite particular about such details.

As Liu Tong took his seat, all the civil and military officials followed suit. It was only thanks to the fact that this was the Han Dynasty, where officials had their own seats, that many of Chen Xi's later customs were able to continue, such as the tea and snacks on the table.

"Next, we will launch the Grand Court Assembly of the eleventh year of Yuanfeng, to settle accounts for the second five-year plan and explain the details of the third five-year plan." Liu Tong sat up slightly and announced to the crowd. She didn't want to have any more questions. She knew exactly what everyone was interested in, so she didn't bother with that and went straight to the point.

After speaking, Liu Tong gave Chen Xi a look. Although Zhuge Liang gave a detailed explanation of the third five-year plan this time, Chen Xi still needed to report on the conclusion of the second five-year plan.

Chen Xi felt Liu Tong's gaze, nodded, and then stood up. The people who had been whispering immediately stopped talking to each other. They also wanted to hear how the Second Five-Year Plan was going. Although there were rumors that it had been exceeded, the Central Asian families could feel more at ease knowing that it was coming from Chen Xi himself.

After all, whether they can get more supplies at this stage depends entirely on the Han Dynasty's support. Only a powerful Han Dynasty can provide them with more supplies. So when Chen Xi got up and began to read out the basic targets for the second five-year plan, the group of people began to pray that everything would be completed beyond the target.

"I pretty much know what you want to hear. I won't go into the details; you can check the official gazette later. I'll just give you a general overview of the major ones." Chen Xi smiled at the crowd and said, "First, let's talk about steel production. Currently, the Bingzhou Smelting Bureau, Qingzhou Smelting Bureau, and the newly built Youzhou Smelting Bureau are all operating well, and the Han Dynasty's steel production has reached 60,000 tons per year."

Actually, it was 100,000 tons, but because of Sun Qian's fixed expenses, Chen Xi reported it as 60,000 tons. After all, even 60,000 tons would be a huge shock to everyone present, especially Pomponi, who was sent by Rome to listen in. When he heard that the steel production was 60,000 tons, he was completely dumbfounded. What the hell? 60,000 tons of steel production?

"However, while steel production is increasing significantly, our steel shortage is also increasing year-on-year. In the tenth year of Yuanfeng, due to the demand from agriculture and handicrafts, the steel shortage was around 70,000 tons." Chen Xi announced the steel production figures while casually mentioning the calculated steel shortage. The audience was in an uproar. What was going on? How come the shortage was getting bigger and bigger? Wasn't the steel shortage less than 20,000 tons last time? How come now that the annual production is 60,000 tons, the shortage has become 70,000 tons?
"Lord Chen, may I ask a question?" Xun Chen, who was sitting at the front and had a good understanding of steel production and owned his own steel mill, looked at Chen Xi with a somewhat strange expression and raised his hand to ask the question at the urging of the others.

"Excuse me." Chen Xi nodded calmly. He knew that once this data came out, a group of people would definitely ask questions because it didn't conform to their understanding.

"In the sixth year of Yuanfeng, our steel production had just exceeded 10,000 tons, and at that time it was said that the steel shortage was only a few thousand tons. Now we produce 60,000 tons a year, so why has the steel shortage become 70,000 tons?" Xun Chen asked directly.

“Because the shortage of steel will increase as steel production increases. For example, in the past, stone knives were used to harvest rice, sickles were used in the fifth year of Yuanfeng, and now manual harvesters are used. You know which of these three uses the most iron.” Chen Xi looked at Xun Chen calmly and said, “Then there are water buckets. In the past, they were all wooden buckets, but now they are iron buckets. And then there are cart frames. Now the cart frames should all be reinforced with steel.”

Xun Chen's face turned green upon hearing this. So, if they did it this way, the gap would only get bigger?
趴窝